Ripple

Chapter Twenty

When I walk into the cafeteria the next day, I see Erik sitting at the table with Cole and Sienna. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen him around them; he’s only there because of me, because he now knows what I am. My brain sears painfully, and I nearly turn and run, but before I can, Sienna stands and waves me over.

Students stream past me on both sides, flooding the cafeteria with the buzzing of voices. But they may as well have all simultaneously disappeared. The only people who matter in this world—in my world—are the three sitting together at that table. Cole and Erik should not be sitting beside each other like that. They don’t belong within a mile of each other.

I force my feet to move, and I somehow make my way across the room, until I’m standing at the end of the table. Patrick, Nicki, and Kristi are at the other end of the table.

“Hey,” I say. I glance at each of them, swiftly. The way the boys are looking at me makes me uneasy. Like I belong to both of them.

I try to act so much more indifferently than I really feel. I glance at Erik. He smiles. “Sienna seems to be the official welcome wagon. I was behind her in the lunch line and she insisted I shouldn’t eat alone.”

I nod as if this were totally normal, as if Erik is just the smoking-hot new guy from our English class and not the only person who can (allegedly) save me from my curse.

“Are you going to sit?” Sienna asks.

I realize I’ve been standing there like a total idiot, and plunk down on the bench across from Cole and Erik. I reach for the apple on my tray and take a big bite, happy to have something to keep me from speaking.

“Erik here was just telling us that it’s eighty-seven degrees in San Diego right now. Doesn’t that sound dreamy?” Sienna frowns as if the mere thought of looking pale is disturbing. “My tan is already fading.”

“I’m going tanning at that new place on Griffin Street after school. You should come with,” Nikki says. “You, too, if you want,” she says, looking at me.

“Oh, uh, no thanks. I’m cool with the white-as-a-ghost thing.”

“Suit yourself.”

“Well, since you’re not going tanning . . .” Cole begins, setting his slice of pizza back on his paper plate. “I thought maybe we could go down to the beach. Watch the sunset. My mom has this totally lame picnic basket from, like, 1985, but I thought we could use it.”

I try to act natural. I can’t believe Cole just asked me out like that, in front of everyone. Maybe he really does think he’s my boyfriend. That certainly makes things with Erik even more difficult. . . .

“I’d love to, but I’m totally swamped with homework. I have a big chem test tomorrow.” I nod, then take a giant bite of my apple. Too late, I realize that was a terrible excuse. Nikki has the same chemistry class as me.

I glance her way, but she’s too busy readjusting her cleavage to pick up on my lie.

“Oh,” he says, his voice falling.

I chew faster, swallow a painfully large bite of the apple. “Let’s do something this weekend. Like . . . the sunrise. Much prettier than the sunset.”

I could handle a sunrise. By then I’d just have to time it just right, so that the sun is showing by the time we get there, but not all of the way up.

Cole lifts an eyebrow. “But it’s not over the ocean. That’s kind of the point.”

“Have you ever actually sat on the beach when the sun is rising?” I say, scrambling.

Cole shifts in his chair. “Um, no, I guess not. Why, is it different?”

“Trust me, it’s beautiful. There’s a sort of mist that clings to the ocean, and it makes it feel like you’re the only person in the world.”

That was terrible. But I just stare at him with a dopey hopeful smile, hoping he doesn’t read further into my expression.

“Wow, Lexi, you should totally write for hallmark,” Sienna says, rolling her eyes.

“Shut up, Sienna,” I say. But I smile when I say it. It feels pleasant and unfamiliar. A few short weeks ago I would’ve glared.

“Okay. Sure,” Cole says. “Saturday it is.”

Sienna clears her throat. “So if you’re not going to do the whole cheesy-romance-novel thing with Cole on Friday night, do you guys want to come over? My parents are out of town again. Nothing huge, but there’ll be a few of us. You’re invited, too,” Sienna says, nodding at Erik.

I blink. Sienna was quick to accept Erik into her fold. I wonder if it has something to do with the googly-eyed look Nikki is currently giving him.

“Oh, I—” I stutter reflexively.

“Absolutely,” Erik says.

I bite down on my tongue. I glance at him, and he gives me an apologetic shrug. He must think he’s being helpful, becoming part of the group like this, as if it will make our future love affair all that much more believable.

I give up. “Sure,” I say. “I’d love to come over.”

“Great,” she says, brightly, continuing her recent trend of being nice to me.

Craziness.

Suddenly, someone nudges my foot, emptying all thoughts of Sienna from my head. I glance up. Both Cole and Erik are looking at me.

I swallow and slide my foot back, hoping neither of them can reach it.

Because I don’t know who is playing footsie with me.